by Kory Stamper
First published 2017
Dictionary creation looks systematic and orderly, but the reality proves far messier. Kory Stamper spent years as an editor at Merriam-Webster wrestling with the challenge of pinning down what words actually mean. Even basic terms can stump entire editorial teams for months. Political considerations shape how definitions take form. Editorial prejudices creep into choices about word meanings. Language transforms faster than any reference book can track these changes. Stamper draws from her editorial experience to show how lexicographers really build these volumes. Some words sail through the approval process while others get trapped in extended debates over correct usage and fitting context. These battles over meaning expose how malleable and shifting human language truly remains. Stamper writes with precision and genuine humor about this specialized field. She opens up the hidden world of professional dictionary making for readers outside the profession.
Genres: essays, humor, language, non-fiction, linguistics, books-about-books
Vibes: accessible, engaging, insightful, thought-provoking, witty
Tropes: behind-the-scenes, demystification, expert-perspective
Period: 21st-century
320 pages · Paperback · Vintage